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Not everyone has the time or money to call in a specialist when faced with a problem that needs fixing. Sometimes we just need to do what we can with whatever we have available. In South Africa, we call it making an "akkeltjie". I'm yet to find a direct English translation for that Afrikaans slang but think "quick-fix," "modification," "creative solution," or "DIY mend that kinda, sorta works."
Whether it's putting a bumper sticker over a dent in your car door, or using a stapler to tailor your pants, us humans have the uncanny ability to figure something out. In Afrikaans, we say, "'n boer maak 'n plan" (a farmer makes a plan). Clearly the country has a knack for being innovative, resilient and never taking "no" for an an answer.
Around the world, people have been coming up with clever ideas to fix everyday issues. Some stranger and funnier than others. They proudly share the proof on a page called There I Fixed It regardless of whether said problem was truly "fixed" or not. Bored Panda has put together a list of the best posts to inspire anyone on the verge of giving up...
This post may include affiliate links.
#1
My Car After A Fender Bender
Problems are a part of life. Whether it's running out of milk for your morning coffee or breaking down on the highway en route to work, we all experience obstacles at one point or another. While some issues might seem like the end of the world in that moment, there's generally a solution for most things, if you think hard enough.
Sometimes this means calling in an expert, other times it entails doing what we can with whatever we have available. When it comes to the latter, you might need to think outside the box - or even destroy that box completely.
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#2
In Order To Open The Oven We Mounted The Drawer Handles In This Way. It's Perfect!
#3
My Stepdad Backed My Car Into A Semi… Fixed It
As the Harvard Business School's site notes: "One of the biggest hindrances to innovation is complacency—it can be more comfortable to do what you know than venture into the unknown."
And that's where creative problem-solving comes into play. The university's experts explain that this type of problem-solving is less structured than other innovation processes, adding that it encourages exploring open-ended solutions.
As we know, different problems will have different solutions, and you might need to experiment with several strategies before something finally fits.
#4
I Like To Consider Myself A Handyman. Gotta Do What You Gotta Do To Pass University Dorm Inspections
#5
I Saw This Gracefully Repaired Car. Pretty Smart Gotta Admit
#6
Forbidden Jenga
The first step is to identify the problem.
"It might seem obvious, but if you’ve faced similar problems in the past, look back to what worked then. See if any of the solutions could apply to your current situation and, if so, replicate them," suggests BetterUp.
Another option is to work backwards. This means imagining your problem has already been solved, and making that the starting point. Aka reverse engineering. In such scenarios, you'd retrace your steps back to where you are now.
Of course, you could always call a friend. Or a few...
"The more people you enlist to help solve the problem, the more potential solutions you can come up with," BetterUp's team says. "Use different brainstorming techniques to workshop potential solutions with your team. They’ll likely bring something you haven’t thought of to the table."
#7
Mini Fridge Didn’t Come With A Bar To Hold My Drinks In Place, So I Improvised With LEGO. I’m Convinced Mostly Anything Can Be Fixed With LEGO
Luke || Kira (he/she) 8 hours ago
Universal solution step 1: use ducttape. If step 1 failed, proceed to step 2: use Lego.
#8
Deactivated Esclator=stairs
#9
Genius
There's also something known as the Kipling Method when it comes to problem-solving. It's based on Rudyard Kipling’s poem, “I Keep Six Honest Serving Men,” and encourages you to ask six specific questions when faced with a challenge:
- What is the problem?
- Why is the problem important?
- When did the problem arise, and when does it need to be solved?
- How did the problem happen?
- Where is the problem occurring?
- Who does the problem affect?
Hopefully, the answers will lead to a possible solution.
#10
My Dad's Solution To Keep The Dishwasher Door From Opening Mid Cycle 😂
#11
Almost Blends In
Am I Funny? Maybe or maybe not 10 hours ago (edited)
Blend....get it. It's a coffee cup. Gah, I made a bad joke.
#12
Good Car Repair 🤣
#13
So I'm Basically An Electrician Now
Am I Funny? Maybe or maybe not 10 hours ago
The traffic cone is just the garnish on this exquisite photo.
#14
Religious Signage In Public Toilet
Eroe Infinito 10 hours ago
My dyslexia read Religious SINGage lol I'm not sure how I'd feel being sung to in the toilet....
#15
My Cats Were Destroying My Plants, So I Fixed It
#16
Lighting Fixture Found In My Grandparents Basement
#17
Needed A Lid Without A Hole. Didn't Have A Lid Without A Hole. Screw It
#18
"But Boss, I Don't Think A 4x4 Plank Will Hold Up That Telephone Pole." "Do I Pay You To Think Or Do I Pay You To Do What I Tell You?"
#19
My Sis In Law Just Posted This. She Told My Brother, “Use Those DIY Books And Fix The Chair!” Done
#20
Hose Clamps To Keep My Office Chair From Involuntarily Descending
Beak Hookage 9 hours ago
That happens when the gas used to keep the chair up runs out; it happened with my old chair and god it was annoying!
#21
Idk, I’m Impressed
#22
“Don’t Buy A Car If You Have To Park It Outside The Streets Of Manila”. I Suppose This Counts As Being Inside
#23
Somebody At The Gym Threw A Medicine Ball Into The Drywall. They Fixed It By Putting A Vent Grate Over It
Norm Gilmore 13 hours ago
Not an uncommon patch. When I get to a site and I wasn't the original installer, I've actually had to do this when trying to find cables/ducting that haven't been brought out through the soffit by the builders. Cut out in the general area where you've been told it should be and if a little out have used these to make it look like part of the venting. With owners permission of course...usually... :-)
#24
What Do You Mean I Need A New Windshield Wiper?
#25
Saw This Vintage Toy At A Local Flea Market And Thought Of This Sub
#26
I Have No Title, Still Trying To Perceive What I’m Looking At
#27
My Dad Uses Water Filled Milk Jugs To Prop The Door Open In Their Hi Rise Balcony
#28
My Fiancé Has Ripped His Joggers At Work And Used Cable Ties 🤦♀️🤣
#29
Feels Like Shoddy Car Mirror Fixes Are Everywhere, But Here's Another One
#30
You Could’ve At Least Used The Right Color Bricks
#31
The Front Of My Coffee Maker Keeps Popping Open So I Put A Jewelry Box Latch On It
#32
Not Really, But Ok
#33
Husband Dropped His Water Bottle On His Cell And New Immediately How To Fix It
#34
Post Brain Surgery Rehab. My Hand Doesn't Work So They Taped It Up So I Could...firmly Grasp It
Lukas (he/him, it/its) 10 hours ago (edited)
Hopefully everyone here understands the joke, but if not, see my comment below:
#35
Amateur Mechanic Hack. Got Tired Of The Size Moving. Didn’t Have A Short Open End 17mm So This Worked
#36
So Smart
#37
This Supermarket Quick-Fix Is Questionable
WindySwede 7 hours ago
I guess it's just protecting the floor from the metal rod in the wheel? not that the ball fully is supporting a table leg?
#38
Why... Just Why
#39
Just Arrived In Houston To Visit The Boyfriend’s Dad For The First Time In 11 Months. I Think He Was A Little Confused As To Why I Was So Excited! 😄
#43
Boeing Fixed The Door Blowout Problem. Thank Goodness!!
Brittania Kelli 12 hours ago
I would've noped right off that plane. Have these people never seen Final Destination!? If that's not a portent, I don't know what is.
#44
Louisiana Walmart. DIY Windshield Replacement
#45
Master Mind
Beak Hookage 9 hours ago
I must be hungry because at first glance I thought that was a big block of cheese.
#46
Electrical Pole Doesn't Need Further Repair Just Put Up A Warning Gummy - Don't Crash Here Again!
#47
The Lord Giveth
#50
I'm Honestly Impressed With This 'Repair'. If They Had Used Red Wire Ties, It Would Resemble A Baseball
#52
My Partner Fixed The Handle On Our Freezer Door
Michael None 2 hours ago
Oh, cmon this is an easy fix. It took longer to put that tape up than to tighten a couple screws.
#56
Who Needs Em
#57
That Ought To Do It
#58
Fixed The Outlet, Boss
#59
Perfect!
Geoffrey Scott 9 hours ago
Yeah, I've got a stack of 3 or 4 milk crates I use. Hot weather in Michigan doesn't last too long.
#61
The Hotel Door Literally Didn’t Have A Lock. So A Little More Safety Measurements Were Needed
Blue Bunny of Happiness 9 hours ago (edited)
Having just read the news story about a woman staying in a travelodge who was attacked in a way that only a man could attack a woman (let’s see if that gets round the BP censors) after a man persuaded staff he was her boyfriend and gave him a key to her room, always travel with a portable door lock.
#62
Spotted This On The Men's Room Door At A Service Call Today. At Least They Sanded It Smooth To Prevent Splinters, LOL
#63
My Brothers Landlords Solution To A Leaking Shower
#64
Why Replace My Almost Broken Old Dirty Screen When I Can Do This?!
#66
Heater Valve On Old Chevy Cracked. Random Box Of Plumbing Garbage To The Rescue
#68
Which One Of You Is This? Lmao
#69
Spotted At The Supermarket
#70
My Rice Cooker Lid Latch Broke So I Had To Get Creative
#73
When Opening The Dishwasher Is Too Much Work
#74
Brand Loyalty
Geoffrey Scott 9 hours ago
Kinda like the guy in our town with an F-150...with Z-71 badging on the rear quarter panels. (FYI, Z-71 is an 4x4 Chevy pkg.
#76
Tie Rod End
#77
Elevator Button Fix Lockout
ILoveMySon 1 hour ago
Hmmm. I think I would take the stairs regardless as this elevator seems sketchy
#78
Spectrum Fixed My WiFi A Few Months Ago. Just Realized They Used Two 4-Way Splitters
#79
Better Than New
#80
Found In The Celing Of Our Office Building. Projctor Mounted. Metal Bar Sticks About 4 Ft Out Of The Ceiling Tile Below. Previous Tentant
#81
At A Bar Somewhere In The Middle Of Nowhere In Upstate New York
#82
What Broken Window? This Is A Handy Boot Storage Solution
Beak Hookage 9 hours ago
I wonder what the neighbours think is on the other end of those boots...
#83
Fixed The Pcb
#84
I Was Really Sick Of My Tomatoes Splitting Open In The Garden
WindySwede 7 hours ago
Pick them when they just starting to turn orange! This was a gamechanger for me on cracking and alike! Tastes just as good. You just need to keep them indoor untill fully ripen!
#86
Fixed My Bed
Bill Swallow 55 minutes ago
That looks like a problem. I see nothing here that qualifies as a 'fix'.
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What do you think ?
Debby Keir 4 hours ago
I am totally amazed at some of these 'redneck' solutions, but when it comes to cars or electrics, so many of these are plain death traps. How come America allows it? We have yearly testing of any car 3 years old, and none of these would get anywhere near passing.
T'Mar of Vulcan 4 hours ago
In South Africa we say, "'n Boer maak 'n plan." (A farmer makes a plan.) Not only farmers say this, though - everybody does!!
Debby Keir 4 hours ago
I am totally amazed at some of these 'redneck' solutions, but when it comes to cars or electrics, so many of these are plain death traps. How come America allows it? We have yearly testing of any car 3 years old, and none of these would get anywhere near passing.
T'Mar of Vulcan 4 hours ago
In South Africa we say, "'n Boer maak 'n plan." (A farmer makes a plan.) Not only farmers say this, though - everybody does!!
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